Supporting groundwater sustainability research in the United Arab Emirates

Apr 2011

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of
the world’s most water-stressed countries
and all sources of water are highly valued
and must be safeguarded for the future
wellbeing of the population. To support
this aim the Emirates Foundation for
Philanthropy provides grants for research
contributing to the better understanding
and management of the country’s vital
water assets.

In two important groundwater sustainability
projects, Borealis has partnered the
Emirates Foundation and contributed
significantly to support this work. These
projects are part of Borealis’ Corporate
Social Responsibility endeavour and the
Water for the World initiative with
Borouge.

The UAE faces major challenges in providing
drinking water to meet the needs of its growing
population, already in excess of eight million
people, and its strong expanding industrial base.
Currently partial of its needs are met from
groundwater resources. However, with no
permanent rivers or natural lakes the aquifers
(water bearing substrate) are primarily recharged
by rainwater. But, with a very hot climate, more
than 90% of its land area comprising desert and
an average annual rainfall of just 100mm, the
recharging of aquifers can not keep pace with
the volume of water abstracted to satisfy demand.
Therefore currently, the depletion of groundwater
reserves in the UAE is unsustainable.

Over the past 35 years much has been done to
meet these challenges. A number of dams have
been built around the country to maximise
rainwater catchment and aid aquifer recharging.
A series of desalination plants has been constructed
to convert seawater to freshwater, and the
treatment of wastewater has enabled its re-use
to meet the requirement for landscape irrigation.
Moreover, in seeking an economic and
environmentally conservative balance of supply
with demand, these measures have been
supplemented by initiatives that range from
system improvements in agricultural irrigation to
campaigns encouraging people to use domestic
water more sparingly. However, as society and
industry continue to evolve within the UAE, new
sustainable solutions that will match with future
demands need to be found.

Better understanding gives better solutions

To facilitate the search for new and improved
solutions the Emirates Foundation offers grants
to suitably qualified PhD graduates to support
their research into major environmental projects
within the UAE – particularly water sustainability
initiatives. The two projects being supported by
a donation from Borealis’ Social Fund have as
a significant component the deepening of
understanding and knowledge of UAE
groundwater volume and behaviour.

These projects are part of Borealis’ Corporate
Social Responsibility endeavour and the Water
for the World initiative with Borouge.

The research projects are:

Innovative Isotopic Approach
to Groundwater Regions in the UAE
Led by Dr Ahmed Murad, his research team is
investigating the sources of groundwater and its
recharge rate in different areas of the UAE. The
increase in water consumption in relation to its
estimated volume and rate of replenishment
shows a progressive imbalance. However, the
estimates of aquifer quantities were made some
years ago, may no longer be accurate and might
therefore represent inadequate data on which
to base water management decisions and future
infrastructural projections.

Groundwater Rise in Al Ain:
A Threat or Blessing?
The principal aim of this study, led by Dr Mohamed
Mostafa, is to improve the management of
groundwater resources in Al Ain, an oasis city in
the east of the country bordering Oman, and
change current and future threats into strategic
storage solutions. The research is expected to
provide a methodology for improving water
management practices by identifying the sources
contributing to the rise in groundwater in the area
and manage the risks associated with it. The
results of this study will include the production of
a groundwater level map of Al Ain, which illustrates
the ‘hot zones’ of groundwater proximity to the
surface. An expected outcome is that this research
will contribute value to water management
decision making and resource saving.

Targeting future needs in the UAE

The Emirates Foundation is one of the UAE’s
foremost philanthropic organizations. It offers
financial and technical support to projects that
enrich the lives of people in the Emirates,
particularly in the areas of youth development,
knowledge creation, and society and culture.

The Foundation facilitates links between
commercial businesses and the public sector to
devise new projects and strengthen existing
nonprofit initiatives throughout the country. Its
funding comes from programme-rated
contributions and a capital reserve supported by
the Abu Dhabi government and private companies.
The specific initiatives supported fall within the
following core areas: education, social
development, environmental development,
science and technology, and art and culture.